Alcohol and other drug research and translation into policy and practice

A solid evidence base documenting the size of alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems, who is impacted, and the likely consequences of the problem is one of many factors required in order to influence policy. Australian researchers have developed a solid body of evidence documenting drug use and related harms over time, yet sometimes this is not enough for policy change.

This presentation from Dr Amanda Roxburg, NHMRC Research Fellow, Burnet Institute, will provide key examples in Australia and internationally where research evidence has influenced drug policy and practice, as well as the context in which policy and practice has been changed. Change in policy often occurs over longer periods of time however, the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic globally, along with the opioid overdose epidemic in Canada, provide interesting parallel examples of rapid policy change.